skip to main content

Perennials Maples

Japanese Laceleaf Maple

last month

I have a Japanese Maple that tends to lose much of its rich color and then even it's leaves (as if it's diseased) too early in the summer right through the fall. In the spring it flourishes. What are the top three reasons this extreme change is happening?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last month
Too much sun or not enough water. Or a combination of both.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last month
its useless to answer this question .... unless we can ID the plant...

MANY ... change colors thru the season ...

this could be entirely normal for the plant.. frankly.. there are very few trees .. of any kind ... that are a static color from spring thru fall...

if you dont have a named variety.. then there is no way to answer the above ...

there is a tree forum ..

get some spring pix.. add them to this post.. and see if anyone can name it... come back with pix in the heat of summer.. august or so .. and then in fall.. and lets see if we can narrow it down...

if you want a predictable known cultivar .. that will perform as you wish.. then mail order a plant that will make you toes tingle 24/7/365 .. pay the money ,, and it will reward you ... do not rely on bigboxhardwarestore

check out this website for info on JMs: https://www.coniferkingdom.com/maples/

ken
Related Discussions
When to pick Japanese Laceleaf Maple seed pods
Q
Comments (2)
I don't have any experience with Japanese maples but common sense would say to wait until the maple itself decides its seeds are ripe. i.e. when they start to fall naturally. I have grown other trees from seed which I have just collected up off the ground. Why make things harder?
...See More
Japanese Maple or ?? for perennial bed
Q
Comments (18)
You can use a purple smokebush with perennials very easily. I use mine as a cutback shrub, keeping it quite low, but have sometimes left the shrub uncut in the spring and it will get about 6-8 foot tall those seasons. If left unpruned to grow as a tree it gets about 12-15 ft tall with an irregular or somewhat rounded growth pattern. I do have a neighbor who has real pruning talent and his SB is quite an elegant looking small tree. If I let mine grow tree size but pruned, it would probably be more like a Kousa dogwood in shape, since it takes real nerve to thin out the tree enough to look like my neighbor's tree does. Anyway, Smokebush can be grown in full sun & is not as delicate as the Japanese Maples are in zone 5 (at least my zone 5 garden on wet heavy clay). They come in purples and greens, including lime greens. They are also easily transplanted - I've moved mine twice. I use mine with Rozanne geranium climbing all over it, dark red daylilies on each side, Knockout roses around it on the back side, & shaded by taller shrubs & ornamental grasses, so despite being listed as full sun I doubt that you would have trouble with it in an eastern location. Oh, I just remembered I have daffodils planted all around its base for spring color, so it's root system isn't delicate. I do warn you though, it is a somewhat late riser in spring, and can be awkward looking when first planted with tall unbranched stems. I highly recommend heavy pruning in its first few years to encourage branching.
...See More
Japanese Maple
Q
Comments (2)
No, they will not die if branches touch the ground. And the remote possibility of any disease that may arise will be more likely due to the density of the branching structure and lack of air circulation than it is from any ground contact. There is the possibility of some foliar damage, but primarily from mud or rain. I've seen scores of mature weeping laceleafs with branches sweeping the ground - it's a very graceful look. My own 'Green Cascade' Acer japonicum has this exact habit with many branches actually extending along the ground.
...See More
Where to buy rootstock/understock
Q
Comments (3)
Cutting those little pieces of scion wood takes a skillful hand not to go to deep or too little and then making a matching cut in the rootstock is a challenge some of them are pretty tuff to cut through without taking your finger or thumb off. After that you got to hold the two pieces together, keeping them aligned and wrap them will a budding rubber. My fingers and coordination really got a work out...then I still don't know if the graft is even going to survive. One of my root stock hasn't even started to leaf out so I guess that one is a goner. this winter was my first attempt. I'm starting some green maples from seed so I hope to have more root stock to experiment with next year. I have found a source for grafted Japanese Maples (the guy told me he does about 30,000 grafts a year with a couple of other people)that I might just buy from...I had to at least try it though. I'm also going to experiment with trying to do weeping pussy willows. Ive got my root stock and scion wood on order and will try that next year hopefully.
...See More
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last month
I take exception to the previous response. Even JM authorities will question an accurate ID of the more than 1000 cultivars on the market. Differences can be very subtle and easily influenced by location and by siting. So I doubt whether knowing the specific cultivar of JM involved will make a difference in this case.
- All will go through a series of seasonal color changes so you need to view each individual at different times of year to even approximate an ID.
- Nearly ALL red leaved forms can bronze or green out if in strong, all day sun. JM's are understory trees and do best in at least partial shade.
- Other than a disease, the reason JM's drop leaves in midseason is almost always associated with insufficient water. These are not the slightest bit drought tolerant and prolonged dry spells can certainly result in premature leaf drop.
- Any disease that would cause a similar reaction - and there are not that many - would typically be fatal and the tree would not be alive to repeat the process annually.
- Finally, I'd have to question Conifer Kingdom being a recognized authority on JM's. They're not....just an online seller. And do not even supply much basic info at that.
Greg Joseph
Original Author
last month
These responses have solved my problem, thank you!
Greg Joseph
Original Author
last month
For the record, it is in very partial shade, in other words nearly full sun, and it's not getting enough water. A regimen will be in place this year and if I remember I'll report the results for the record, page bookmarked. Thank you again!

Related Stories

TREES 11 Japanese Maples for Breathtaking Color and Form

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

With such a wide range to choose from, there’s a beautiful Japanese maple to suit almost any setting

GARDENING GUIDES 12 Japanese Maples for a Sunny Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

The right maple in the right place shines in hot summer sun

TREES Great Design Plant: Coral Bark Japanese Maple, a Winter Standout

By Paintbox Garden

Go for garden gusto during the chilly season with the fiery red stems of this unusual Japanese maple

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Great Design Tree: Japanese Maple

By Annie Thornton

Lacy form and fiery fall color make Japanese maple a welcome tree for garden or patio

GARDENING GUIDES 13 Japanese Maples for Shade

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

A surprising variety of these understory trees is waiting to make a statement in your shade garden

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Amazing Small Maple Trees

There's more to maples than syrup. Expand your maple milieu with any of these 5 small and unusual trees

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Patio of the Week: Japanese-Inspired Landscape in Toronto

By Becky Harris

A landscape architect plays off a contemporary home’s architecture, creating a soothing outdoor atmosphere

WORLD OF DESIGN A Beginner’s Guide to the Japanese Tea Garden

By 舩村　佳織｜エノコロ庭園設計室

A small roji, or teahouse garden, offers a respite from everyday life. Why not make one part of your home garden?

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Get the Look: Japanese-Inspired Garden Style

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

A traditional art form offers lessons in creating a space for quiet contemplation

PATIOS Backyard Ideas: Writer's Studio and a Japanese-Inspired Garden

By Annie Thornton

A nearby Japanese garden inspires a feature-packed backyard and studio for a work-from-home Portland writer

Sponsored

More Discussions

Mulching with compost in established bed

15

Daylily foliage malformed. What's wrong?

6

Reblooming Irises - are drooping leaves a charactoristic?

4

1000+ bulbs planted last fall

4

Impulse buy - regrets already...?

7